Itinerary

1. Day 1: Islamabad Arrival

   • Arrive in Islamabad.
   • Get greeted by your guide and driver and transfer to your hotel for a rest before starting towards the north of Pakistan or same day drive to northside.

2. Day 2: Islamabad to Chilas KKH

   • We travel on the Grand Trunk Road and onto the KKH at Hasanabdal. Passing fruit groves (lychee, orange, tobacco) and small crop fields before heading up to Abbottabad, a garrison city and hill station for escaping the summer heat. The winding path begins up to a high plain and down to snake along the Indus River towered over by mountains and foothills of the Himalayas. 
   • We pass through frontier-like towns of Besham and Dassu before Chilas.

3. Day 3: Chilas to Hunza Karimabad

   • Driving to Gilgit, we stop at ancient rock carvings and the meeting point of the 3 highest and longest mountain ranges – the Karakorum stretching to China, the Himalaya crossing India/Nepal and the Hindu Khush crossing Afghanistan and central Asia. 
   • We visit the Karga Buddha and have lunch in the main bazaar of Gilgit. 
   • Drive and rejoin the Karakorum Highway. 
   • Enjoy local stops for delicacies and handicrafts before stopping at the collision point of continental plates and reaching Rakaposhi Viewpoint with views of Rakaposhi (Rakhaposhi Peak 7788 Meter High), the longest mountain in the world and in the Karakorum range.
   • After tea with a view, it’s onto the Hunza valley where everything comes with a view. 
   • We visit historic Alit Fort and stop at our hotel for the night with excellent views over the Hunza Valley and the surrounding peaks.

4. Day 4: Hunza Karimabad to Hopar Valley Nager

   • Wake to see the sunrise over (Diran Peak) with breathtaking views of Golden Peak, Rakaposhi, Ultar 1, Ultar 2 and ladyfinger and down into Hunza Valley and to Nagar. 
   • We drive through the high fruit tree-dotted fields being readied for spring planting and cross the Hunza and Nagar River

5. Day 5: Hopar Valley to Baricho Kore Camping

   Elevation: 4400m

   • Drive an hour to Hopar valley. Approximate walk 6/7 hours and Elevation 3300m.
   • Today in the morning we begin our first-day trek to Baricho Kore. 
   • Once we leave Hopar valley, there is no reliable water until Bericho Kore camp. We will carry water and start early to avoid the midday heat.  
   • From Hopar, we descend 2790m steeply to the edge of the Bualtar glacier. We will cross the Barpu glacier and reach Barpugiram in the ablation valley the first Hut. Barpu Giram's water source is snowmelt unreliable after May. Here, two trails going uphill. We will take the path straight east-south side and ablation valley is narrow and larger juniper and wild roses appear. 
   • One hour from Barpurgram, reach the huts and pasture of Mulharai where Tamarisk offer shade. 
   • Just beyond is the grassy campsite of Baricho Kore where a porter shelter hugs a boulder 5km from Taigai Phari. What is the meaning of Baricho Kore? Baricho is musicians and Kore means cave. A trickle of water runs through the campsite. But it is a larger source above camp. As we arrive here, pitch our tents and prepare for delicious dinner at an elevation of 3300m high grassland. 
   • Rest at camp. Eat, drink, and wash the spring clean water.

6. Day 6: Baricho Kore to Chidin Harari Camp

   • Today, we get up in the morning and make our breakfast with some eggs and paratha with milk tea. 
   • After breakfast, we climb up on a zigzag juniper high pasture trail, it is relentlessly steep, hot and dry with no water until Chidin Harai camp, so we carry much water to drink for the day hike. 
   • Start early to reach the top before the sun. We climb the ridge ¾ hours through sage, thyme and scattered juniper to the ridge top marked by cairn 4050m.  The trail from Gutten also joins here. The icy Miar glacier below snowy Phufarash and Diran dominates the views west at this location. 
   • We will continue southeast up the grassy ridge for one hour to Chidin Hara Camping flower-filled place. Chidin Harai has a goat pen a few shepherd's huts and grassy areas. Year-round water flows above the hut. What is Chidin Harai? Chidin means Cooking pot and Haria means Shepherded House or pasture. 
   • Enjoy the late afternoon light - a perfect camp from which you enjoy sunset and sunrise on the imposing Hisper Muztagh to the northeast. This wall of 7000m Momhil Sar 7343m Trivor 7728m Mulunguuti Sar 7025m and Disteghil Sar 7885m peaks are dominated by this Chindin Harai campsite. It is very famous for mountains panoramas.

7. Day 7: Chidin to Rush Lake/Peak Exploration

   • The approximate walking distance is 2 hours—elevation 4700M to 5190m.   
   • Today after breakfast, we start our head to Rush Lake's left side rocky slope above the water source. Towards the top of the slope, before it makes a pronounced bend to the left, cross right to avoid Talus and reach a Barpu glacier overlook one hour above Chidin Harai. 
   • We will turn southeast across the Talus. 
   • Cross a low rise and reach Ruhs Phari 4690m. The less windy campsite along the lake. 
   • Enjoy the view of Mair glacier Spantik Diran, Phurfarash and two unclimbed peaks are behind Rush peak.  
   • Reach the campsite area and pitch the tents. Take lunch here. 
   • After lunch, we climb towards Rush peak. 
   • We climb the south side of Rush Lake's flowered slopes for one hour to a hilltop with a cairn and several tents plat. It is called Rush peak 5190m. From the cairn, follow the northern ridge, then ascend easy 2nd class talus to the summit also marked by a cairn. K2, a dramatically more significant Broad peak and Gasherbrum IV are visible here, and Baintha Barak is nowhere else in the Karakoram. Can you get such a magnificent mountain view on such a short trek? So you never miss the lovely trek.

8. Day 8: Rush Lake to Phai Phari and Hamdar Camping

   • After breakfast, we close the camp and trek to Phahi Phari camp. (5 to 6 hours walk) The descent of 1250m to Phahi Phari in 4.5 km is steep from the stone shelter and cairn along the lake. An obvious gully descends towards the Barpu glacier. The route stays right of the gully traversing talus then descending juniper and grassy slopes and more steeply over steppes views of Sumaya Bar and Miar glacier and Mulubaiting and Phupharash peaks are awesome. Phai Phari is reliable with enough water and a perfect place to stay in the shadow of willows. 
   • Cross wide white ice of the Miar glacier to Miar settlement at the juncture of the Miar and Barpu glaciers. 
   • Follow the trail along the southeast margin of the Barpu glacier from Miar to Hamdar reaching Hamdar in about 2 hours. 
   • Miar Peak (6824meter): is known as Male glacier-white as milk.
   • Camp at Hamdar meadows. Shepherds offer ibex milk and see the butter making natural processing system. Approximate walking distanced around the bond fire with the sound of wooden crapping.

9. Day 9: Humdar to Hopar Valley and Sightseeing ¾ hike

   • After breakfast early in the morning, we start walking towards Happakun.
   • Reach Happakun and from Happakun the trails pass through upper Shishkin before dropping to Lower Shaishkin at the edge of the Bualtar glacier. 
   • Cross the trickily Baultar glacier and return to Hopar valley. 

   Overnight stay at the hotel

10. Day 10: Hopar Valley - Chalt Gappa Meadows and Gilgit

    • Start an outbound journey from Hopar valley. 
    • Head to Gappa Meadows to enjoy the stunning views of lofty peaks Rakaposhi and Diran. 
    • Walk to Gapa glaciers and enjoy the high pasture. 
    • Evening drive back to Gilgit.

11. Day 11: Gilgit to Naran via Babusar Pass and Lulusar Lake

    • Hunza – Gilgit Narran via Karakorum highway. Taking in the spectacular scenic view of mountains and Indus valley, we stop at more ancient rock carvings and take advantage of natural viewpoints and waterfalls. 
    • En route visit Luslusar Lake.

12. Day 12: Naran - Kaghan Valley - Islamabad - Airport

    • In the greener Himalayan foothills, we wind back down and stop off at the world heritage dig sites and Taxila Museum before visiting Shah Faisal mosque and Islamabad sights with dinner in Food Street before transferring to the airport with a lot of good memories from beautiful Pakistan.